


Vortex

by Cawaiiey



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Kissing, Making Out, Sexual Tension, Unrequited Love, alcohol mention, chapter 4, drug mention, one-sided
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 11:06:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7755295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cawaiiey/pseuds/Cawaiiey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max warns Victoria of Nathan. She gets quite the reward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vortex

Lights flash, the bass booms, the double moons in the sky shine into the dimly lit pool building, and Max Caulfield’s senses are suddenly completely overwhelmed the minute that she bursts through the doors. Firstly, the overpowering chlorine that always permeates the pool area was everpresent, but then there was this other vile mess of odors that were mingling together. The scent of weed hangs heavy in the air, like a fog, and, fuck, it was actually foggy in here too, thanks to a few machines interspersed throughout the party. There was an open bar in the area and quite a few classmates were already way past their limit, sloppily spilling their drinks while they hazily ground their hips together in a sickening mating display. Some classmates had already vomited due to overdrinking or exposure to too many drugs or maybe a dangerous cocktail of both. Whatever it was, there was the putrid stench of sick that was scattered on the floor towards the walls, and that, mixed with all the rest of the unpleasant smells in the building, hit Max’s nose with the force of a two-ton truck. 

She started to breathe through her mouth as she made her way through the building, attempting in vain to spot Chloe amongst the bright lights and the mirage-esque air. The double moons in the sky reflected off of the pool water, which was already lit up from various glow sticks and other neon objects in and around it. Strobe lights flashed in a medley of colors all around her, making it difficult to identify her surroundings. In her panic, the things around her seemed distorted and way too bright, causing her to bump into quite a few people while charging through the party. People cursed at her, yelling obscenities, trying to get a rise out of her, but they weren’t aware that Max Caulfield was on a fucking mission and wasn’t about to let some bogus classmates distract her from stopping her best friend from literally fucking murdering someone.

The entire building felt like one single, swirling, living, breathing, entity, and it was intoxicating her in a horrible way with every single breath she took. They didn’t call it a vortex party for nothing. Max covered her face with her sleeve and kept walking, determination filling her veins with adrenaline. She couldn’t afford to get sucked into this, she had to keep going, surging forward.

Max’s head started to throb. In conjunction to her normal-- Hell, was this her normal now?-- headaches due to her time traveling, this mixture of distressing sights and scents were causing a catastrophic migraine to start beating at the inside of her temple. Max took short, sharp breaths through her mouth, trying to stay calm as she made her way through the party. Chloe, Chloe, where the fuck are you, Chloe, Max thought to herself, heartbeat quickening as she approached the bouncer who blocked the entrance to the private section where all the elite vortex club members were. With a glance towards Courtney, who nodded in reluctant approval, the bouncer stepped aside to let Max in. 

The black curtain pulled back to reveal a whole new world. More muted, with the music sounding further away, and only a handful of people scattered around. Max felt her headache fade a bit, and she took a few calming breaths as she surveyed her surroundings. Crossfaded people passed out on the couch, girls hanging over the guys, and not a single blue-haired girl in sight. Max clicked her tongue against her teeth as she ventured further into the elite section of the party. There, on the dancefloor, stood Victoria Chase, who looked like she wasn’t having much of a good time at all. Max normally would have avoided her and tried to locate Chloe but… She had to warn Victoria. About Nathan Prescott and all the things he’d done. About the crime he’d committed. 

“Victoria,” Max called out as she approached the short-haired blonde girl. Victoria glanced up, surprised to see Max in this section of the party, and adopted her signature bitch pose, one hand on her hip and another pointing directly at Max. 

“Maxine Caulfield. Look who’s out of their element. What’s a hipster like you doing in the section for Vortex club members only?” Victoria snarls at her, flicking her finger towards her in an utterly dismissing, patronizing sort of way. Max feels her face burn and is suddenly thankful for the dim light, grateful that her anger and embarrassment weren’t painfully visible. 

“Look, Victoria, I came to warn you about something,” Max begins begins before Victoria abruptly cuts her off, obviously with no regard to Max’s actual feelings, as per usual. 

“Warn me of what? That you’re going to win the “Everyday Heroes Contest”? Puh-lease, Max, I’ve pretty much already won. I can’t wait to see the look on your face when Mr. Jefferson announces me as the winner.”

Max sighs out through her nose and tries again, dismissing the comment without acknowledging it, “no, Victoria, this is serious--”

“Yeah, right, what could you possibly warn me about?”

Max feels her head throb again, abusing the inside of her skull once more, and finally snaps at Victoria, “shut up, for once in your life, and listen to me!” 

Victoria suddenly stops, looking dumbfounded, as Max breathes heavily, fists clenched at her sides. Max grabs Victoria’s arm and pulls her to a secluded location, where no one could see the two of them, and firmly grasps the shoulders of the taller girl. Victoria closes her lips, seeing the obvious fear and seriousness in Max’s eyes. She slowly nods, waiting for Max to give her this supposedly important warning. 

Max nods back and begins to explain, in a very roundabout way, that Victoria should be wary around Nathan Prescott. She doesn’t delve into details about why, but apparently just saying she should be cautious is more than enough to convince Victoria. She nods again and puts her hands on Max’s, which are still firmly grasped on Victoria’s shoulders. 

“Nathan has been totally freaking me out recently. I mean, he didn’t even show up to the party today! So. Like. Y’know, thank you. For warning me. And uh,” Victoria suddenly seems completely unlike her usual self, so full of sass and feisty, biting attitude. She quite visibly gulps, like she’s trying to swallow her own pride so she can say something she really would rather not. 

Victoria finally blurts it out, looking away from Max as she says, “you’re pretty much one of the coolest people in Blackwell. You don’t really care what other people think. Unlike… Me.” Victoria worries her bottom lip in between her teeth, eyes diverted from Max’s. The brunette blinks as she tries to process what Victoria just said. Victoria Chase, the Queen of the Vortex Club, was envious of how Max Caulfield, the Hipster Selfie Queen, handled herself around others? The world really was ending.

Max held back a laugh of disbelief that bubbled in the back of her throat and, with a quick glance around to make sure they were away from prying eyes, pulled Victoria into a hug. She had to push herself onto her tiptoes a bit, but she enveloped Victoria into a comforting hug nonetheless. Her classmate stiffened in her grasp but eventually relaxed, arms entwining around Max as well, a visible weight off of her shoulders. Max brought one hand up to Victoria’s head, gently holding her in place, while she rubbed soothing circles in Victoria’s back with the other hand. 

“Victoria, I can’t possibly imagine what other people say about you that makes you care what they think. They obviously suck if they say bad things about you. You’re one of the strongest people I know. Just please, be safe, and avoid Nathan at all costs tonight,” Max tells her, punctuating her compliments with another warning, still trying to make sure Victoria understood the gravity of the situation. She nods, face buried in Max’s neck. Max holds her for a little longer, savoring the affection she desperately had been craving. She felt like the past few days had all been thankless endeavors she had gone through to make sure everyone was safe, especially Chloe, and she was glad someone was, at the very least, thanking her for something. 

Reluctantly, Max let Victoria pull away from her grasp, a small smile on her face. Victoria promised Max she would be safe tonight, and turned around to exit the closed off area they were in, when, suddenly, she whipped around and leaned towards Max one more time. 

The kiss was certainly unexpected, but was greatly-- and god, does she mean greatly-- appreciated. Max felt feathery soft lips on hers for a moment, barely a peck, before Victoria moved to pull away. Max grabbed for her shoulder once more, hauling her back for another kiss. Even though Max was in love with Chloe and she knew that Victoria would never, ever, ever truly feel romantic feelings for her, she did want to suck up as much attention as she could before she had to go find Chloe and Nathan Prescott. One quick, sweet relief before she was thrust back into the web of world-saving responsibilities that she had taken upon herself. 

Victoria came back from where she had been, near a curtain that she could pull aside and return to the party, and pressed herself up against Max. Max intertwined her fingers behind Victoria’s neck, keeping her head, her lips, meshed against Max’s own. Victoria tilted her head a bit, hands coming up to cup Max’s cheeks, and began to move her lips in a delightfully rhythmic way against Max’s. Max returned the favor, trying to mirror Victoria’s movements, as she wasn’t exactly skilled in this whole art of kissing thing. Victoria didn’t seem to mind though, as she parted from Max for a brief moment to catch her breath before surging forward again, sucking Max’s bottom lip into her mouth and gently nibbling on the skin. 

Max almost gasped right then and there, feeling the skin on her arms raise in goosebumbs, and the hair on the back of her neck stand at attention. Max whimpered a bit as she pulled her mouth away from Victoria’s, only to press forward again with renewed resolve when Victoria seemed anxious and uneasy. As if to say you’ve done nothing wrong, Max slipped her tongue into Victoria’s mouth, testing the waters a bit. And Victoria responded eagerly.

The Vortex Club Queen sucked gently on Max’s tongue, teasing it with her own while she scratched at Max’s neck with blunt, pristinely manicured nails. Max felt her knees go weak, eyelids fluttering, as she struggled to take control of the kiss. Victoria let go of Max’s tongue before sliding her own tongue into Max’s mouth. Max fervently reciprocated, until the both of them were sloppily kissing, making rather obscene noises, not even twenty feet away from the other partygoers.

Max moaned into her classmate’s mouth, hand raised up a bit as she rewound time by a few minutes, back to when they first started kissing. She went through the motions again, rewound, did it again, rewound, and then again, until she felt thoroughly satisfied. Max rewound one last time, after staring at Victoria’s hazy eyes and kiss-bruised lips for the umpteenth time, back to before Victoria kissed her. 

“I promise I’ll be safe tonight,” Victoria said, looking reluctant to leave, and Max interrupted her thought process, knowing exactly where it was headed, and said, “please do. I worry about you, you know? You’re my friend.” 

And while the look on Victoria’s face wasn’t exactly exuberant, it was relieved, and Victoria cast a “au revoir” over her shoulder before rejoining the party. 

Max took up the search for Chloe again, only feeling slightly guilty for misusing her powers like that.

**Author's Note:**

> Maxine Caulfield deserves love!!!


End file.
